THE SADDLERS have invited young MK Dons supporter, Eleanor Carr, to be mascot on the opening day of the 2010/11 season.
The 10 year-old Dons supporter (pictured) will lead out her team when Chris Hutchings' men entertain MK Dons on Saturday, 7th August.
The gesture follows an unfortunate incident that took place when the two sides met on the final day of last season. Eleanor was on the Milton Keynes Dons Supporters Association's coach when an object was thrown which shattered the outside skin of the coach's window. Thankfully, the inside window was not damaged and the youngster, who was sitting in the seat adjacent to the window, although shaken, was unhurt.
As a result, a number of Walsall supporters have contacted the MKDSA and have kindly donated enough money to purchase tickets to the Walsall vs. MK Dons fixture for Eleanor and her family. Following the generosity of our supporters, the club have invited Eleanor to be mascot on the day of the game where she will have the opportunity to lead out her heroes.
"When we heard that our supporters were donating money to allow Eleanor and her family to attend the game we wanted to do play an active role too," explained Assistant Club Secretary, Daniel Mole. "We didn't want to rain on the supporters' parade by simply supplying Eleanor's family with free tickets because we feel that our fans deserve a lot of recognition for instigating such a wonderful gesture.
"We felt that the chance for Eleanor to be mascot would be one that she will cherish and, hopefully, will go a little way to making up for this unfortunate incident.
"We were appalled when we heard the news of the incident and our Safety Officer, Dave Storr, is still investigating the matter. However, although this investigation is ongoing, our other priority is to ensure that Eleanor and her family have positive memories of their visits to the Banks's Stadium.
"We are a family club and pride ourselves on being welcoming and hospitable. Our supporters are of a similar ethos and we have come together to give a true representation of the values held by real supporters of Walsall Football Club."
